I used to think pizza was pizza. I didn’t differentiate between cheap pizza, homemade pizza, deep dish pizza etc…. To me, all pizza was pizza! I mean, when I was young I considered Little Caesars pizza. Ha!! Obviously, I did not have very high standards. I am much more of a pizza snob these days. All pizzas are definitely not created equal. You will not hear me simply say, do you want pizza for dinner? That is like saying do you want ground beef for dinner? What kind of pizza?
In the past I have had: thin crust pizza, deep dish pizza, mini pizzas, Thai pizza, barbeque pizza and probably many others. I have never had a pizza quite like this Sicilian white pizza though. However, I do wish I’d been eating it for years. The toppings on this pizza really aren’t any different than any other pizza. We did not put a sauce on this pizza, but you could if you wanted to. It is the crust that sets the pizza apart though. I really can’t even compare this crust to any other pizza crust I have had. It is buttery and flaky and crispy. I would even say it is closer to a pie crust than a pizza crust. Either way though, I highly recommend making this Sicilian white pizza!
Here is what you’ll need
Add flour to the bowl
Add the sugar
Add the salt
Add the cold, cubed butter
Add the yeast to the water
Mix until crumbly
Add the yeast/water mixture to the flour
Combine until evenly moistened
Knead
Divide dough in half and form into balls
Put each ball into a bowl, cover with a damp towel and let rest
Roll out the dough
Place it in a pizza pan
Puncture the dough
Par-bake for 5 minutes
Brush with olive oil
Sprinkle with Romano cheese
Sprinkle with seasonings
Add the shredded cheese
Top with sliced tomatoes
And garlic
Back in the oven for a little longer
Buttery, flaky, perfection!
Sicilian White Pizza
Ingredients
For the crust
- 2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and to use while rolling out the dough
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 1/2 tsp instant yeast
For the pizza
- olive oil
- Shredded cheese (we used fontina and mozzarella; 1 ½ cups per pizza)
- Grated Romano cheese
- Garlic powder
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Salt and Pepper
- Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
- Garlic cloves, finely minced (I used 2 cloves per pizza)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the cubed, chilled butter and, using a pastry blender or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it is mostly incorporated and looks like coarse sand. In a large measuring cup or small bowl, combine the warm water and instant yeast. Add to the flour mixture and, using a fork, combine until the mixture is evenly moistened. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for a minute or so until the dough comes together and is smooth. Divide the dough in two, shape into balls, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let rest for about 30 minutes. Take one piece of dough and shape into a 10-inch circle using a rolling pin. With a fork, prick the surface of the dough and bake for approximately 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush with olive oil, and top with Romano cheese, garlic powder, dried basil and oregano, salt and pepper, then top with shredded cheese. Add the slices of tomato and the garlic. Return to the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and begins to brown. Repeat with the second half of dough.